Semiotics
by Classy Abigail
Summary: The theory of communication that describes how humans use signs and symbols to create meaning. Also, the story of how Yuugi Mutou creates his own meaning by discovering the hidden corners of his personality, acquiring an eclectic circle of friends, challenging his beliefs, missing home, and falling in love with the right person at the wrong time. Puzzleshipping.
1. Chapter 1

Yuugi Mutou. 19. Japanese. Freshman. Department of Communication Studies at The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Card game enthusiast. Metrosexual. Gemini.

And right now, completely and utterly lost.

Yuugi wheeled his sleek, patent leather suitcase behind him as his chunk-heeled boots slapped the concrete sidewalk hurriedly, the erratic noises signaling his distress. He looked around him from behind the tinted lenses of his tortoise-shell sunglasses at all of the street signs, flashing lights, and attempted to block out the noise of the other pedestrians rushing past him.

Hopelessly, irredeemably lost.

After he'd gotten off of the subway at 32nd street, he'd been immediately swallowed up by the enormous city. Yuugi wasn't even sure he'd gotten off at the right stop, but he'd gotten fidgety riding the subway, already having ridden the train for so long. He'd just stepped off of the plane that morning, and while he had assured his grandfather – his guardian – that he was capable of taking care of himself on move-in day, Yuugi would have been glad for a friendly face.

Applying to university in America had seemed like a no-brainer at the time. The States were well known for their institutions of higher education, and Yuugi had aspired to attend what was known as an "Ivy League" school ever since he'd learned about them. The cream of the crop attended these schools, supposedly, and Yuugi was proud to be amongst them as an incoming freshman. He'd heard all about the city of Philadelphia, and had been very eager to come explore the downtown area with its quaint restaurants and lavish shops.

"This isn't quite what I had in mind," he muttered under his breath as he – nestled tightly within a crowd of pedestrians – crossed a busy street. Cars honked angrily as he hurried to reach the other side. It was comparable to Domino City, Yuugi supposed, but with way more cars and rude assholes driving them.

After much cursing and meek direction-asking, Yuugi finally crossed into a section of the city that seemed to be frozen in time. All of a sudden, there were no more cars. The buildings were ornate, like brick castles, and he found himself standing amongst a crowd of kids who looked just as overwhelmed as he was in the center of an enormous plaza. Students wearing blue and red shirts with megaphones were herding students off into the side buildings, and soon Yuugi was swept away towards the residential complex.

Freshman dorms, he quickly learned, were not the world's most luxurious places. His room was cramped, two beds, two dressers, and two desks being the only furniture in the room besides an air conditioner that looked as if it would fall apart at any moment. Yuugi grimaced at it as the cheerful student who had shown him in warned him to be back in the plaza in two hours for his orientation tour.

Still, he mused after she had left, the campus was beautiful, and he was thrilled to finally be at Penn! His dorm wasn't even that bad, he reasoned, it was historic!

It was as he was unpacking all of his neatly pressed polo shirts into one of his drawers that the door was flung open by a flustered looking boy, snowy white hair a tangled mess piled on top of his head in a sloppy bun. Just as quickly as he'd opened the door, he slammed it shut, leaning against it with considerable force. "Thank you for your help, but I need to be alone now! I'll call you tonight!" he called through the door.

A fist pounded from the other side a few times. "Come, Ryou, sweetheart, we want to help you!" A female voice, sickeningly sweet.

"I need to be by myself," the boy asserted, "You'll only make leaving that much harder."

The knocks on the door stopped, and the woman seemed to mull this over for a moment. "You'll call us right at eight, dear. We love you." Footsteps trailed away.

The boy looked at Yuugi for the first time and blushed deeply. "I'm so sorry; you must think I'm some sort of freak now. Sorry, I'm Ryou, but I guess you heard that. Sorry," he stammered.

Yuugi shook his head. "Not at all! Are you another Japanese student?"

Ryou cocked his head. "I guess so, but I've lived in Philly all my life with my parents. You just heard my mother outside." He shrugged. "She's kind of overbearing, but she means well."

"I just came from Japan this morning," Yuugi told him, continuing to fold his shirts, "Everything here is so loud and different."

Ryou chuckled. "On the streets, yeah, and when my mother goes off on one of her tirades, yeah, but it's not so bad all the other times. I guess we're roommates, then?" he asked tentatively.

Yuugi thought the answer was obvious, but he kept himself from saying so. Ryou seemed nice, and he wanted to make friends. "I suppose we are! I'm Yuugi Mutou."

Ryou smiled and walked further into the tiny room. His smile faltered as he looked around. "God, but it's cramped in here." He heaved his suitcase by the handle up onto his bed, clicking it open. The lid sprung up comically and clothes exploded out onto his bed. Yuugi watched in alarm, but Ryou didn't seem disturbed by it in the least. Yuugi looked down at his meticulously starched button-down shirts he was carefully folding. Apparently, there was a lot to learn about American life.

"Ryou," he started, beginning to go to work on putting his shoes under his bed, "I don't know if you know this, but we have orientation in two hours."

Ryou laughed at him. Pretty loudly, too. Yuugi was confused. Had he said something funny? "No, no, no, and no!" Ryou insisted as he flung t-shirts into piles in a horrifying mockery of separating his colors, "Not on your life are you going to orientation, Yuugi!"

"How else are we going to get to know the school?"

Ryou laughed again. "You're a funny kid, Yuugi."

Yuugi looked down at his neat line of shoes and then back up at Ryou, who had begun work on setting his laptop up on his desk, clothes still strewn all over his bed.

* * *

That night, instead of familiarizing himself with Penn's campus, Yuugi found himself going with Ryou all the way to downtown Philadelphia, to the Avenue of the Arts. They'd hopped on a subway for most of the journey, but when Yuugi had climbed up the stairs out of the terminal, he saw stars.

Not, like, real stars. You'd never see those in the city. No, what Yuugi saw were bright, colorful lights and happy, energetic people all around him. People were pouring in and out of shops that Ryou wouldn't let Yuugi step foot into. The theaters were just beginning to fill up for the evening's performances, and Yuugi was amazed at the life all around him. This wasn't Domino at all, oh no, this was something else entirely.

"Where are we going?" he asked Ryou for the third time tonight, hoping he might finally get more than just a vague answer.

"You'll see, Yuugi! I know this great place," Ryou answered, weaving expertly amongst the crowd, hand in Yuugi's to keep them from getting separated.

Yuugi's palm was sweaty. He wiped his free hand on the side of his dark, tailored jeans. God, he hoped he wasn't overdressed. Ryou was wearing frayed jeans with a hole in the knee, a dark t-shirt with some band logo on it, and a gray leather jacket over it. The closest Yuugi could come to being that casual was a dark muscle tank he never wore under normal circumstances underneath his own designer leather jacket. His jeans, from the same brand as his jacket, were a deep gray with subtle silver threading for dimension. They were his favorite pair, one he usually only wore on special occasions or when he needed a confidence boost.

Like right now, for example. Ryou had tugged him into a crowded, dim-lit lounge. The sign out front had read "The Purple Chrysanthemum". The interior was done up in dark woods and rich purple tapestries and tablecloths. A tiny candle rested on top of every table, casting the small room in a warm, organic glow. It was so beautiful, yet so unlike any place Yuugi had ever been in before. Yuugi perceived a general feeling of intimacy as he and Ryou crossed to a table near the front, close to a small stage with an ebony piano taking up most of the space on it. Two spotlights fully illuminated the instrument, the only well-lit spot in the venue. As they sat, a girl with a high ponytail and heavy eye makeup approached them to take their orders. Ryou ordered two glasses of red wine and flashed his I.D. at her, and she left.

Yuugi stared. Ryou smiled at him and leaned in. Over the dull roar of the other patrons, Ryou half-yelled, "I'm actually a junior."

"How'd you get put in a freshman dorm?" Yuugi asked.

"Not by choice, honestly," Ryou shrugged, "All the upperclassmen dorms were full, and this is only my second semester on campus, so I don't get priority housing. I transferred from West Chester last spring."

Yuugi nodded along, not for the first time amazed at his new roommate.

The waitress brought their glasses just as a man stepped up onto the stage and a hush fell over the lounge. "Evening, everybody," the man said, "We've got a real talented guy with us tonight. Please give a warm welcome to Yami Sennen."

Applause rippled through the crowd as another man took the host's place on the stage. Yuugi's breath caught in his throat. Tall, dark, and Gucci catalog gorgeous smiled humbly and bowed his head to the crowd as he seated himself at the piano. Long, pale fingers rested on the keys, and Yuugi took a bracing gulp of wine in time with the man's breath before he began to play a simple melody with intricate harmony lines that sounded like springtime.

Yuugi was swept away in the man, attention fully focused on the heavy-lidded eyes behind large, square frames and the long, dark lashes that fluttered with each swell of the song. His hair was sort of swooped to one side, looking at once professional yet flippant. It didn't quite cover the multiple stud piercings in his ear. The roots of his hair were a honey blond that darkened quickly to jet black. His fingers danced across the upper registers of the piano, tickling out a playful melody that matched the way his full lips drew upwards at the corners. In the dark, Yuugi couldn't tell exactly what fabric the man's clothes were, but they looked right on him. A light wash pair of skinny jeans, turned up twice at the ankle to draw attention to his leather loafers that were working the pedals of the instrument. A plain white t-shirt was covered by a dark blazer, bunched up to the elbows. Yuugi was close enough to see the muscles in his forearm tense and relax as he played.

He was completely spellbound. As the song ended, he raised his hands to clap politely, but everyone else in the lounge applauded raucously and cheered loudly for him. The man stood and bowed again. "Thanks, everyone," he rumbled in a rich bass that startled Yuugi with the way it seemed to resonate through his entire body. "So, I'm Yami Sennen. It's great to be here playing for you. If you don't mind, I'm going to do a few more," he suggested, drawing his tone up at the end as if in question. The crowd shouted encouragements in response, and Yami grinned a dazzling smile. "Excellent."

Excellent, thought Yuugi.

"Yuugi," Ryou whispered as Yami began to play again.

"Mmm?" he hummed in response, breaking his gaze away reluctantly to sip at his wine and look at Ryou.

"Listen, so I know the guy who owns this place, and he's good friends with this Yami guy," Ryou informed him with a knowing smile, "Not that I don't know the answer, but do you wanna party with them after his last set?"

Yuugi nodded furiously, and Ryou chuckled in response, returning his attention to Yami. Yuugi looked back also, but now his mind was racing with the possibilities of the night and also with sudden nerves. He'd never really been to a party before. Ryou would probably take care of him, but he had no idea how to act. All of a sudden, he was aware that tonight was the first night he would sleep in America, on a totally foreign continent, in a city full of strangers, thousands of miles away from Grandpa.

He felt homesickness like a physical tug on his heart, but resolutely swallowed it down and forced himself to bring his attention back to the present task at hand and the Adonis at the piano.

Before long, Yuugi found himself being ushered out onto the street by Ryou, who assured him that Yami and his other friends would be along as soon as the owner had turned his keys over to the waitresses who would close the place up for the night. The wind blew, tousling the strands of Yuugi's hair that weren't tucked up into his artfully messy bun, including some of the few strands that he'd dyed red and yellow shortly before leaving for America. He put his hands into the pockets of his jacket, having nothing else to do with them, and stared around him at the glow of the avenue at night. It had lost some of its appeal, however, as Yuugi couldn't stop thinking of Domino, of his grandfather's game shop, of his grandfather. His heart wrenched again, and he did his best to bury it, but he felt so adrift in the city, out in the open on the street with no one except for the eccentric roommate he'd only met hours before.

Yuugi didn't even notice when Yami joined them on the street. It was only when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder that he looked up into a pair of deep brown eyes – he swore there were flecks of crimson in them - and felt his heart leap up into his throat.

Ryou was introducing everyone. Yuugi was staring at Yami, who kept his hand on Yuugi's shoulder. He was speaking to the host from earlier. "Malik, this is my new friend Yuugi. Yuugi, this is my, erm, my friend Malik."

The host, a slim, tan blond with long, beach-wavy hair smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Yuugi. Ryou and I go way back. What did you think of The Purple Chrysanthemum?"

Yuugi managed to tear his gaze away from Yami, whose eyes hadn't yet left his own. "I loved it! We've got nothing like that back home," he said, trailing off a bit at the end.

"And where's home?" Malik asked interestedly.

"Yuugi just got in this morning from Japan, didn't you, Yuugi?" Ryou declared excitedly, staring at Yuugi and winking.

"Wow! What brings you here, man?" Malik asked, but at that moment, another blond stepped out of the lounge, slamming the door shut behind him. He stalked over to Malik and ruffled his hair.

"Ready when you are, kiddo," he rumbled, voice even deeper than Yami's was.

"Marik, you know Ryou. And this is Yuugi, his new friend from Japan!" Malik introduced them.

And wasn't that just confusing? Malik, Marik. Yuugi stared, noticing that the two of them looked almost identical save for the fact that Marik was enormous. Like a bodybuilder or something. They even had the same tousled blond hair. And were wearing matching purple coats.

"The Ishtar's are twins," Ryou jumped in, "The Purple Chrysanthemum is a family business. And this is Marik's friend." He cast his gaze over to Yami, who had yet to remove his hand from Yuugi's shoulder. To his credit, Yuugi only looked a little bit like he was having an internal panic attack.

Marik laughed, slapping Yami on the back. "Yami, man, are you loaded or something? You're freaking that kid out."

Yami took his hand away and laughed. "Sorry about that. It's really good to meet you two," he said to Yuugi and Ryou, sweeping his eyes briefly over Ryou before landing squarely on Yuugi again.

Yuugi couldn't even appreciate it. He was staring up at the sky, blinking back tears.

Ryou crossed their little group to him, concern evident on his face. "Yuugi, what's wrong?"

"Um," Yuugi began, voice quivering, "I don't, um, I don't think I feel great, Ryou."

"Do you wanna go home?" Ryou asked, taking Yuugi's hand loosely in his.

Yuugi pulled away. "I think I'm going to go back. I know the way." His voice broke, and he inhaled sharply. "I, um, I hope you guys have fun." A single, fat tear rolled out of the corner of his eye. He turned his face to the side so the rest of the group wouldn't see, but Ryou was too close.

"I'm not going to let you go alone," Ryou declared, "What kind of friend would do that?" Shielding Yuugi with his own body from the rest of the group, still holding his hand, Ryou addressed Malik. "We're gonna head back. Thanks for inviting us out, Malik."

"No problem," Malik replied, voice quiet and understanding.

Ryou pulled Yuugi from the group, but not before they heard Yami call "wait".

Yuugi turned his head, and Yami had closed the distance. He enveloped Yuugi in a hug. "You're beautiful," he stated.

Marik tugged him away, laughing. "Yami, man, you are totally loaded. Dude, you have work tomorrow!"

He could still hear Marik's laughter after a block of walking, but he heard Yami's voice in his head long after they'd made it back to campus. I'm so lonely, Yuugi thought, and I'm scared, but I guess that's alright for tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Yuugi woke up precisely at seven and set about preparing himself for his first class of the day at eight. He nervously carried his little shower caddy and matching towel set into the bathroom but found it blissfully unoccupied save for a few bedraggled looking students. As he waited for the water to warm, he thought about his night. Obviously, he couldn't just call his grandfather. Aside from the time difference, it would also have been very expensive to place a call so far away. He'd ended up cracking open one of the new books he'd bought from a newsstand at the Philadelphia airport to take his mind off of his homesickness, and it had sort of worked. Really, there was nothing he could do about how he was feeling except work through it.

Yuugi stepped into the shower, mind turning to the other event of last night. Meeting Yami. Yuugi felt a little shiver run through him, maybe from thinking about the way those eyes had seemed to lay his soul bare, but probably because the water wasn't quite warm yet.

He was so upset with himself that he'd blown his chance last night so completely! True, Yami could have just been drunk, but he hadn't really seemed that way. Of course, Yuugi had no frame of reference for that. The wine Ryou had bought him last night had practically been his first drink.

Yami had just been so… overwhelming was the best word for it. Yuugi was enchanted by his music, dazzled by his effortless style, drawn in by that inviting gaze, and completely lost in his voice and the way he'd crooned "beautiful".

Yuugi knew he was an attractive kid; he had good genes in all the right places. His face was round and youthful, but not pudgy-looking due to his wide-set eyes and full lips. He dressed himself impeccably, having a vast knowledge of fashion and how to apply it. He had money, too, having collected his parents' life insurance policies no more than a decade ago, so he could afford regular salon trips and dermatologist appointments. Yet, how many times had he heard the word "beautiful" in reference to himself? He got cute a lot, but that was to be expected since his stature was so small and his features so soft. Boyish is how his hair stylist described him, as did most of the salesmen and saleswomen who assisted him when he went shopping for new pieces.

But beautiful was new. As Yuugi rinsed once more and stepped out from the shower, he tried the word out, mouthing it to himself. He whispered it into the mirror as he brushed his teeth. Spoke it to himself as he slipped into his navy blazer and neatly pressed khakis. Thought it like an internal mantra all the way to class.

Which, as it turned out, was sort of difficult to find. There were signs everywhere, but the buildings were old and didn't make as much sense as modern architecture did. He'd left early enough, or so he'd thought, but as the hour drew closer and closer, Yuugi began to panic a bit. Smoothing his hair, which he'd left down in a slight wave – unfortunately natural – he assured himself that there were many students who were just as lost as he was. Regaining some semblance of confidence, Yuugi continued along until, at just a few minutes past eight, he strode into a massive lecture hall – built more like a movie theater or a sports stadium than a classroom - he had correctly identified as his morning literature lecture.

Most of the students were already seated, but a few were milling around as Yuugi noisily opened the door. A few heads turned to look at him.

Including the teacher's.

Yuugi inhaled sharply.

Yami.

At least Yami also looked surprised, his eyes widening comically at Yuugi, who mirrored his expression. Not really composing himself but needing to do something, Yuugi looked away and rushed to a seat a few rows from the front. Face red, he busied himself with unpacking his notebook from his messenger bag and selecting a pen from the collection he had in the special pen pocket in the bag. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Yami taught here?! He was way too young for that! Yuugi glanced up again. Yami was staring straight at him. They both looked away sharply, Yuugi's blush intensifying.

"Good morning," Yami greeted the class, eyes sweeping the room, "Sorry about your first eight-am class, but welcome to Lit 120, Modern Literature. I'm Dr. Sennen."

Yami walked behind his desk to the whiteboard, uncapping a marker. His writing was just about the sloppiest cursive Yuugi had ever seen. He looked down to his notebook, where he had written a neat, orderly "LIT120: Modern Literature" in looping handwriting. Yuugi looked up again. Yami had turned back around, and Yuugi noticed the slope of his shoulders and the greyish tint of the skin under his eyes. Someone hadn't slept.

"This is a survey course, meant for freshmen. It's writing emphasis, so it fulfills one of your graduation requirements," Yami continued, "We meet three times a week, bright and early. I am just as happy about this as you." The students chuckled weakly. "But it won't be that bad. Now, if everyone would come forward and take a copy of the syllabus," he motioned to a stack of papers on his desk, "We'll get started there."

Yuugi was mortified. He only caught some of what Yami was saying, and he knew he should be listening, but he couldn't bear to look up. He spent the majority of the class doodling on the syllabus. Yami being a teacher ruined everything. Yuugi couldn't be interested in his teacher! Talk about a conflict of interest, not to mention incredibly inappropriate.

Thankfully, the class was only about an hour long. When Yami dismissed them, Yuugi hurriedly packed his things away. He moved to join the flow of students heading for the door, but when he looked up, he caught Yami's eye and froze. Yami was staring back at him sort of questioningly. He looked like he wanted to talk. Yuugi grudgingly hung back. When the last of the students left, Yuugi nervously cleared his throat to break up the silence.

"Yuugi," he began, tone smooth and low, "I need to apologize to you for last night. If I'd known you were a student," he paused.

Yuugi spoke abruptly, not wanting to hear the rest of that thought. "Don't worry about it. I understand."

Yami looked conflicted and a bit hurt. "I don't regret what I said. Please don't think I'm taking anything back, but I cannot be interested in you."

"It's okay," Yuugi continued, warming up a little, "Really. You didn't know, I didn't know. It's fine."

"I suspect we'll still see each other from time to time outside of class because of our friends. We can be friends," he offered.

"Yeah, friends," Yuugi smiled at him, "Sounds like fun. I've got to run to my next class, though. It was good talking to you, Yami, uh, Dr. Sennen."

"Yami is fine outside of class, Yuugi," Yami corrected him.

"Right, okay," Yuugi agreed, calling a quick "see you!" behind his shoulder on his way out the door.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He could be friends with Yami even though they had a professional relationship. There were no rules against that, certainly. Yeah, they could get away with being friends. Yuugi couldn't deny that he was still incredibly attracted to Yami, and Yami had seemed to be pretty into him, too. At least, he didn't regret coming on so strong last night. That was a sign.

And, hey. There would be plenty of other cute guys on campus that Yuugi could safely date. Yuugi felt a little sad thinking about this but then physically shook his head in an attempt to lose the feeling. You don't fall in love from one night, a few touches, and a compliment. Yami wouldn't be an option for another four years. He could very easily keep his eyes peeled for another hot guy.

Adjusting his messenger bag strap, Yuugi stepped out into the sunshine and immediately flipped his sunglasses down. The late August sun bore down own him ferociously. He would have to adjust his wardrobe to deal with this heat. Shrugging off the blazer, Yuugi proceeded to his next class, feeling a little put-out in spite of his pep talk.

* * *

"Ryou."

"Yeah?"

"Remember Yami from last night?"

"Yeah. God, who could forget?"

"Well, he taught my morning class."

"WHAT. Was it weird?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Did he look hot still, though? You know, like 'can I blow you for extra credit' hot?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

* * *

The week passed by unremarkably. Yuugi sat through a week of classroom introductions, ice breakers, and syllabus after syllabus. When he wasn't in class, he was exploring the campus. He'd even managed to stumble into a club involvement fair for the campus organizations but hadn't felt outgoing enough to join anything. Mostly, he hung out with Ryou in their room. The city had a lot to do, in Yuugi's opinion, but Ryou never seemed particularly interested in leaving the room if it wasn't for a good reason, like class or a party. Yuugi hadn't really gotten up the courage to explore on his own yet, so he mostly just watched a lot of movies.

He also thought about Yami a lot, in spite of himself. The man was just so charismatic. His class was so interesting, and he had an infectious passion for literature that had Yuugi really excited for the rest of the semester. He'd even managed to snag a copy of one of Yami's favorite books from the campus store – he'd put a list in the syllabus. Honestly, every teacher seemed to be obsessed with those things. The book was called _Sextrology_. Yuugi was a little embarrassed to buy it initially – not that he was prude – but he was really excited about it. He'd never thought of astrology as more than silly horoscopes or vague personality tests, but after reading the introduction to the book, he was eager to read more. Unfortunately, school work began soon after he'd bought it, and Yuugi hadn't had time for it.

Now, though, it was Friday, and Yuugi made himself some tea before curling up with the book and preparing for a night of reading. That was when Ryou burst through the door, wild hair done up in a high ponytail and a grin on his face. "Are you ready to party, Yuugi?!"

"Uh." Yuugi looked down at his tea.

Ryou scoffed. "Yuugi, it's the first Friday of the semester. You are not sitting in with a book, even if it is a sex book."

"It isn't a sex book!" Yuugi defended, "It's about astrological differences in gender roles, personality, and sexual preference."

"Yuugi, we can talk about your sex book later," Ryou teased, "Right now, we have to pick out outfits for tonight because we have a full schedule!" Yuugi quirked one of his precisely groomed eyebrows. "We're going back to Malik's place tonight to hear Yami play again and drink their wine. Then, we're going to the Sig house." Yuugi continued to look quizzical. "Your first frat party, Yuugi. Come on, you've got to be excited about that. Frats are pretty great. Well, free booze is pretty great as long as it isn't Natty."

Yuugi set his tea and his book aside. Ryou had clarified nothing, but at least they were going out tonight instead of sitting in doing homework. "What do I wear to a frat house?"

"Well, the beauty of it is that you need a balance between The Purple Chrysanthemum and a dirty basement atmosphere."

Yuugi stared.

Silence.

"This is where you say you're joking," Yuugi pointed out, "Because what you said is the biggest joke I've ever heard."

"Yeah, not joking," Ryou said over Yuugi groaning pitifully, "But I've done it so many times, Yuugi, you can, too!"

In the end, Yuugi had ended up borrowing one of Ryou's tank tops, a white one with a cherry red pocket. He wore a pair of his own jeans, skinny grey ones, and lace-up brown boots. Over the tank top, he put on a chocolate brown, zip up, hooded sweatshirt – Ryou's – and surveyed himself in the mirror. "Not really as nice as I'd like to look for Malik and Marik's," he remarked.

"But you don't want to go too nice for where we're heading later."

"True enough."

The boys headed out of their dorm together after pocketing their phones and wallets. The sun was setting on the campus, and Yuugi thought it looked beautiful the way it painted reds and purples across the sky.

The subway was incredibly crowded. Yuugi was incredibly uncomfortable. Luckily, they only had to go a few stops before they made it to the Chrysanthemum. Yuugi stared as they approached. There was a line forming at the door to get in. "Uh, Ryou," he began, hesitating.

"Don't worry," Ryou replied, already dialing Malik on his phone. Sure enough, a few moments later, Marik appeared at the door and ushered them inside. A few people closest to the door began to protest, but Marik glared them into indignant silence.

There wasn't an empty seat in the house. The reason for the line was because Malik was hastily setting up folding chairs around the parameter of the building and in the aisles. Yuugi and Ryou went to help him. Malik looked incredibly relieved to see them. "Sorry about all this. I guess after last week, people are hoping Yami is going to show up to play again. The crowd loved him."

"Is he?" Yuugi asked, angry with the hope in his voice he hoped Malik and Ryou couldn't hear.

"Yup," Malik replied, smiling knowingly, "Heard you had a little run-in with him this week, Yuugi."

"Try three run-ins," Yuugi corrected him, "Why didn't you tell me he was a teacher?"

"I didn't know he was a teacher!" Malik protested, "I knew you were a student, but Yami's Marik's friend, and he doesn't talk about his job much."

"And I knew Ryou was a student," Marik explained, coming up to the group, "But I didn't know about you."

"I'm his roommate," Yuugi reasoned.

"Didn't know Ryou still lived in the dorms," Marik replied, shooting Ryou a look.

"Not by choice," Ryou quipped.

They continued to banter good-naturedly as they set up chairs. Making light of the situation made Yuugi feel better about it all. Maybe he really could be friends with Yami. And who could say what their futures held?

When it came time for the show to start, Yuugi and Ryou ended up sitting in a back corner, sipping their wine glumly. They'd tried to find seats in the front, but Malik couldn't give them preferential treatment. Yuugi just hoped he'd be able to see Yami well when he came out on stage. As it turned out, he couldn't, but he could hear that low, gentle voice just fine. Yuugi shivered when Yami began to sing, and he suddenly remembered why being just friends could never work. He'd never be able to help himself.

Melodrama aside, Yuugi and Ryou enjoyed Yami's music for the better portion of an hour. When he had finished, Yami thanked the audience, eyes roaming the crowd. When he left, Yuugi couldn't help but notice the distinct downturn of his lips.

The crowd thinned somewhat, but not much. Ryou grabbed Yuugi's hand and led him over to the bar. From there, they walked behind it to a back door and went through. Beyond the door was a small lounge, outfitted with two couches separated by a coffee table. It was empty besides them.

"Malik and Marik are going to trade off shifts," Ryou explained, "I think Marik was going to take the first break."

Yuugi nodded and together they sat down, still holding their glasses. A bottle of white wine sat on the table, and Ryou and Yuugi both finished their reds before refilling their glasses with the white. They didn't have long to wait before the door opened and they caught the tail end of a conversation.

"… that he isn't here," Yami finished, gasping softly when his eyes landed on Yuugi, "Never mind. Hello Yuugi, Ryou."

"Hey, Yami," Yuugi greeted, a smile bubbling up to his lips.

"Yeah, hey, guys." Marik threw himself down onto the couch opposite them. "God, what a night. We've been busy for so long. And it only got worse 'cause of you!" he accused, pointing a finger at Yami, who continued to stand.

"What can I say?" Yami shrugged.

"You were very good tonight, Yami," Ryou complimented, Yuugi nodding along dumbly.

"Thanks," he replied, "You guys having a good night?"

"Yeah, but it's about to get way better!" Ryou told them excitedly, "Yuugi's coming with me to Sig house tonight!"

Marik sat up abruptly. He fixed Ryou with a piercing, questioning stare. "You're still going to frat parties?"

Ryou seemed to squirm under Marik's gaze. "Uh, yeah. Sig house isn't bag, though. You have to know where to go."

Marik clearly wasn't accepting that. "Come with me," he commanded, standing and turning to head back out of the room, this time through a different door, one that led to a staircase.

Ryou stood, turning his head to look at Yuugi apologetically, but he followed Marik nonetheless.

The silence that followed their exit was broken when Yami sat down on the couch next to Yuugi. He reached for one of the glasses on the table and poured himself a generous glass of wine. Yuugi, who had already finished his, held his glass out for a refill. He was beginning to feel a little giggly and tipsy, but Ryou's disappearance made him feel uncomfortable, and now he was alone with Yami.

"Marik is really protective, but he means well," Yami said by way of explanation, "He and Ryou are pretty close, though they don't really act like it."

"Yeah, no," Yuugi agreed, swallowing a mouthful of the sweet wine, "He seems much friendlier with Malik."

"Well, they just have a different dynamic. The three of them are interesting together."

Yuugi nodded. "So, uh," he stammered, attempting to shift the conversation, "Your playing was beautiful tonight, Yami."

Yami's head snapped to stare at Yuugi. "You really think so?" When Yuugi nodded enthusiastically, he laughed. "Yeah, I guess go. I have to get pretty drunk to play like that, though." He winked at Yuugi.

Yuugi laughed, feeling his own buzz take over a little. "You can't be serious!"

Yami winked again, putting his arm around Yuugi's shoulder. "Oh, but I am serious! Yuugi, for some reason, I've never been able to play sober. Well, I can," he amended, "But not with that kind of emotion."

"Emotion, huh?" Yuugi parroted, eyes focused on Yami's. They traced his face briefly before landing on his lips. They were sitting too close.

"Emotions," Yami repeated, voice dropping to a sultry whisper. "Yuugi, I'm sorry, but I want to kiss you so badly."

Yuugi looked up at him, tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Me, too."

"How about," Yami started, seemingly in conflict over his words. It could've been the wine. Probably. "How about, during the week, I'm your teacher, but…," he trailed off.

"But on the weekend," Yuugi continued, tilting his head a little, eyes returning to Yami's lips, which were drawing closer to him.

"On the weekend, we can…"

With one hand, Yami brought Yuugi's head up to touch their lips together, first hesitantly, then fiercely. Yuugi locked one hand firmly on the back of Yami's neck, drawing him down as he opened his mouth wider, kissing sloppily. His tongue touched Yami's briefly before he bit down gently on his bottom lip. Yami focused on Yuugi's upper lip, sucking it in to his mouth and drawing his own tongue across it. The walls drew in around them, the air became entirely too hot, and Yuugi felt something tug behind his navel. He followed it, pressing his body against Yami's and almost climbing into his lap. Yami grabbed his leg just above the knee and dragged him up, placing both hands on either side of Yuugi's head and crushing their lips together. Yuugi ground his hips down in a slow, circular rhythm that made both of their breaths hitch.

"God, baby," Yami moaned, hands falling to Yuugi's hips and pressing him down harder. He groaned, fixing his mouth on Yuugi's neck just above the hem of his tank top.

Yuugi gasped, head lolling to the side as Yami's mouth moved up to his collarbone and then his neck. His hands fisted in Yami's hair, pulling him closer, closer, then up to seal their mouths together again. Hands ran up and down his sides, toying with the bottom of his tank top as if he wanted to pull it off. Instead, Yami put his hands under the cloth, gripping Yuugi's narrow hips and pushing.

"Baby," Yami moaned again. His mouth returned to Yuugi's neck, biting down hard and making Yuugi gasp sharply. He pressed his lips to the bite, tongue rubbing it soothingly. It still stung, but Yuugi's hands – still tangled in Yami's hair – only pulled him closer, encouraging him to do it again. The pain was better the second time, but Yuugi had no idea why he liked it so much either times. "Baby," Yami mumbled into his neck, "I want you so bad. Let me have you."

Yuugi moaned in response, lowering his head to bury his face in Yami's hair. "I'm supposed to go out with Ryou."

"Not until later," Yami reasoned, hooking a finger in Yuugi's tank top and stretching it down, down, until he exposed one pink nipple. Gently first, he sucked at it, then bit sharply. His other hand crawled up through the bottom of Yuugi's shirt and pinched the other.

Yuugi clasped his hands behind Yami's neck for balance, crying out an "oh!". His head was spinning. God, he wanted Yami back, so, so, so, so bad. But he wasn't quite drunk enough to ditch Ryou just yet. He hummed low in his throat in response to Yami, head spinning.

Yami pulled away, concerned with Yuugi's lack of response. "Something up?" he asked, running his hands up Yuugi's back, unable to keep them still.

Yuugi stared helplessly at him. He couldn't think of anything to say. He was just so conflicted. He wanted to go with Yami wherever he wanted to take him, whenever, however, but he couldn't just leave his friend. Yuugi glanced behind his shoulder at the stairs, betraying his thoughts.

"I'll have you back," Yami assured him, "My apartment is only a few blocks. Besides, they'll be busy a while."

After that, it really wasn't all that difficult of a decision. Mostly because Malik came in, took one look at them tangled together, mumbled something about the crowd dying down, and hurried upstairs. Yuugi raised an eyebrow at Yami, who laughed and shook his head.

The trip to Yami's apartment was quick, mostly due to how drunk Yuugi was – he polished off another glass before they'd left the café. He held Yami's hand, stumbling behind him giddily. Time seemed to pass in an instant because before Yuugi could process what street they were on, Yami was tugging him into his building and into an elevator, where he immediately pushed Yuugi up against the wall, knee between his legs, and pried his mouth open with his tongue, lips meeting in a hot rush. Then, the doors dinged open, and Yuugi was being tugged along again down a hallway. Yami's hands wavered slightly as he attempted to fit his key into the lock, but when he finally got it, they fell into the room.

Yuugi didn't have time to observe his surroundings. Yami had him backing up as they kissed and touched their way across the room until Yuugi's knees hit the bed and he fell back onto soft sheets. The rest was a blur of tongue, teeth, and skin. Yuugi was in total sensory overload, obsessed with the feeling of Yami's hands all over his body. He was naked and a little unsure of when he lost his clothes, but Yami had lost his, too, so it was okay. Yami was staring at him, hovering above him and seemingly intent on touching and kissing every inch of skin. Yuugi wanted to reciprocate, but Yami was just too intense for him to keep up with. He held on to Yami wherever he could – his arms, hips, neck, always changing as Yami lavished him with his mouth. When his head moved to between Yuugi's knees, he gripped one hand in Yami's hair and the other in the bed sheets, fighting the urge to cry out in pleasure.

Yami bobbed slowly up and down his length, pressing his lips together to create pressure. Yuugi whimpered in the back of his throat, suppressing more moans. Yami pulled off, lapping at his head briefly. "Baby, let me hear you sing," he murmured before reaching a hand down to cup him as he took him back into his mouth.

Yuugi cried out, a short, breathless yelp. He couldn't believe how good Yami was at what he was doing. Pressure built inside of him with agonizing slowness that matched Yami's deliberate motions. He moaned again as he felt Yami press his tongue flat to the underside of his shaft as he took it all the way down until Yuugi felt himself press at the very back of Yami's throat. That drew a sharp "oh!" from him, and his hands tightened in Yami's hair. "Yami," he moaned out, hips flexing as he began to follow the pattern the other was building, "I'm getting close, Yami."

In response, Yami quickened his pace, his hands moving to hold Yuugi's hips and help him match their rhythm. It was incredibly fast and vicious, Yuugi's pelvis all but slamming Yami's face with how forceful he was being. Yuugi gripped both hands in Yami's hair, whimpering helplessly as he felt his entire body tighten. He thought he might burst from the pressure, and then he did, letting his breath out in a rush as he came down Yami's throat. White dots exploded behind his eyelids, which were closed tightly against the onslaught of sensitivity. Yami continued sucking him lightly, working him through his orgasm carefully. Yuugi's legs twitched as he shivered with delicious pleasure, humming with satisfaction. His hands loosened their hold and he stroked Yami's hair lovingly.

"Baby, you were wonderful," Yami told him, moving to kiss his inner thighs.

"You were wonderfuler," Yuugi whispered, still catching his breath.

Yami smiled and moved to lay by Yuugi, catching his hand and motioning for him to get on top. "What, uh," Yuugi mumbled, still disoriented.

"Your turn," Yami told him with a lazy smile, pulling him in for a kiss. Yuugi could taste himself on Yami's lips.

Yuugi nervously kissed a line down Yami's torso, stopping at his erection. Hesitantly, he took the tip into his mouth. Truthfully, he hadn't given many blowjobs before aside from a few attempts in high school. He got the concept, yeah, but Yami was a mature man who would know good from sub-par. He took him in as far as his gag reflex would allow, using his hand to rub at the bottom of the shaft. Yami petted at his hair. "Mmm, baby," he murmured, "Good."

Encouraged, Yuugi set a slow pace for himself, keeping his tongue at the back of his mouth to keep Yami from pushing down too far. He tried to mimic the thing Yami had done with his lips, tightening them. Yami grunted and gripped the back of Yuugi's head, speeding up the pace and the force. Tears sprung to Yuugi's eyes as he slapped a hand to the mattress to steady himself. Yami continued to push until Yuugi had to move his tongue, allowing Yami all the way to the back of his throat. He held his breath as Yami's hips pushed himself in an out of his mouth, but it only took him a few thrusts before he gagged. Spit leaked out of his mouth and pooled at the bottom of Yami's shaft. Yuugi desperately breathed out of his nose to try and fight his gag reflex, but his stomach protested the treatment.

He popped off suddenly, gulping in air, but he quickly returned to try again. Yami didn't seem like he cared, muttering encouragements interspersed with groans under his breath. Yuugi kept this pattern up, relaxing his throat as much as possible to accommodate Yami's furious pace, occasionally gulping air, before Yami, without warning, gave three powerful thrusts and came violently down Yuugi's throat.

Yuugi thought surely he would gag at that, but he just swallowed as best he could and rode out Yami's orgasm. When he began to feel sort of awkward, lapping at Yami's gradually shrinking dick, he moved to place a quick kiss by his navel and laid down beside him. Yami stretched his arm out to catch Yuugi behind his back and pulled him into a loose embrace.

"Baby," he crooned into Yuugi's hair, pressing kisses across his forehead, "So good, baby."

Yuugi sighed in satisfaction – and relief that he had survived Yami's onslaught – and closed his eyes, drifting off with a whispered, "Yeah."

* * *

A/N: So, thanks to everyone who expressed interest in this story! Back when I was in middle school, I'd written a high school/college YGO AU, and I didn't necessarily do the situation justice. Now that I'm elbows deep in higher education, I felt like it was time to revisit it. So, I hope you all enjoy taking this little ride with me.


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